Discovery of Oleaginous Yeast from Mountain Forest Soil in Thailand

Abstract

As an interesting alternative microbial platform for the sustainable synthesis of oleochemical building blocks and biofuels, oleaginous yeasts are increasing in both quantity and diversity. In this study, oleaginous yeast species from northern Thailand were discovered to add to the topology. A total of 127 yeast strains were isolated from 22 forest soil samples collected from mountainous areas. They were identified by an analysis of the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit rRNA (LSU rRNA) gene sequences to be 13 species. The most frequently isolated species were Lipomyces tetrasporus and Lipomyces starkeyi. Based on the cellular lipid content determination, 78 strains of ten yeast species, and two potential new yeast that which accumulated over 20% of dry biomass, were found to be oleaginous yeast strains. Among the oleaginous species detected, Papiliotrema terrestris and Papiliotrema flavescens have never been reported as oleaginous yeast before. In addition, none of the species in the genera Piskurozyma and Hannaella were found to be oleaginous yeast. L. tetrasporus SWU-NGP 2-5 accumulated the highest lipid content of 74.26% dry biomass, whereas Lipomyces mesembrius SWU-NGP 14-6 revealed the highest lipid quantity at 5.20 ± 0.03 g L−1. The fatty acid profiles of the selected oleaginous yeasts varied depending on the strain and suitability for biodiesel production.

Yeasts from tropical forests: Biodiversity, ecological interactions, and as sources of bioinnovation

“…mucilaginosa , Cystobasidium slooffiae , Naganishia diffluens , Pa. flavescens , Pa. terrestris , and Sa. podzolica (Sapsirisuk et al, 2022). In some forest types, the yeasts of other forest habitats were also studied.…”

“…In tropical forest biomes, it is important to determine the composition of yeast species in a habitat, to distinguish prevalent from transient species, to identify the physiological traits that allow the colonization of each habitat, and to characterize the ecological interactions that contribute to ecosystem functioning. Yeast surveys have revealed that many species are specialists in some habitats, such as the surface and guts of insects and other animals, rotting plant materials, the phylloplane, flowers, soil, and water (Barros et al, 2023; Gomes et al, 2015; Lachance, Klemens, et al, 2001; Morais et al, 2017; Santos et al, 2018; Sapsirisuk et al, 2022; de Vega et al, 2017). Tropical forests provide an abundance of substrates for yeast colonization, and studies of these ecosystems are essential to understand the genetic diversity of yeasts, their biogeography, their interactions with other organisms, and their ecological role, as well as their biotechnological potential.…”

The Impact and Determinants of Mountainous Topographical Factors on Soil Microbial Community Characteristics

“…The soil contains a diverse range of microorganisms, with bacteria and fungi being the most abundant [4]. Studies have shown that in alpine meadows the bacterial community is mainly composed of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria, and the most numerous fungal communities are Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, and not only with high plasticity and adaptability to the environment, but also, perform a vital function in crucial processes such as plant production, greenhouse gas emissions, and nutrient cycling, which are essential for the maintenance of numerous ecosystem functions [5][6][7][8].…”

Short Communication: The oleaginous Candida tropicalis isolated from mangrove soil in eastern Thailand and the fatty acid composition profile of its intracellular lipids

“…Today, only 11% of the 1,600 known yeast species have been classified as oleaginous species (Abeln and Chuck 2021;Sapsirisuk et al 2022). Oleaginous yeast genera have commonly been isolated from different environments, such as fruit products, common surfaces, and soil (Vincent et al 2018).…”

“…Oleaginous yeast genera have commonly been isolated from different environments, such as fruit products, common surfaces, and soil (Vincent et al 2018). The soil is considered a reservoir for yeasts in underground environments (Sapsirisuk et al 2022). They belong to various genera within Candida, Cryptococcus, Kluyveromyces, Lipomyces, Rhodosporidium, Rhodotorula, Trichosporon, and Yarrowia (Dey and Maiti 2013;Jiru et al 2016;Gientka et al 2017;Patel et al 2017;Qin et al 2017;Ayadi et al 2018;Lopes et al 2018;Hoondee et al 2019).…”